A Matter of Trust
by Dr. Zachary Smith
Summary: An alien with ulterior motives sows seeds of mistrust between Smith and the Robinsons.
1. Chapter 1

**The Good Doctor's Disclaimer:** I am merely a reluctant stowaway writing of my adventures with the Robinson family. I make no claim to any part of the Jupiter 2 mission.

**Author's Note:** Updates to this tale may not be as frequent as I would like. Please follow the story if you'd like to be notified when the latest chapters are done.

**Chapter 1: First Contact**

The landscape of a new world sat just beyond the viewport of the Jupiter 2. Doctor Zachary Smith stood observing it, hands clasped behind his back, while his companions bustled about the ship, preparing to disembark.

"A barren, god-forsaken wasteland." He sighed heavily. "How original."

The Robot rolled up behind the doctor. "At least the atmosphere is breathable."

"Yeah, Doctor Smith," Will chimed in. "That means you can 'stretch your legs', like you've been wanting to for weeks now."

Smith turned to address the pair. "I'd much rather stretch my legs on..."

"Earth," Will and the Robot supplied in unison. "Yeah, we know," Will added, "but this is all we've got right now. Are you coming with us?"

"If I must," Smith groaned, more out of his habit of being contrary than any true desire to stay cooped up.

Smith followed Will and the Robot down the ramp. He paused at the top and surveyed the area, a sense of uneasiness gnawing at him. He hadn't liked the planet as seen from behind the viewport. He liked it even less as he set foot on it.

The Professor and Major quickly got to work setting up the forcefield to protect them against any hostile lifeforms the planet might harbor, while Judy, Penny, and Mrs. Robinson set up the hydroponic garden.

Will grabbed Smith's hand. "C'mon, Doctor Smith. Let's go explore."

Smith reluctantly allowed himself to be pulled along by the exuberant boy. His idea of exploration differed vastly from Will's, as he intended to explore only as far as the nearest shade tree, under which he planned on taking a nap.

"Don't go too far," Mrs. Robinson admonished.

"We won't," Will called back.

"Stay in sight of the camp," his father added.

"Yes, sir."

...

A rocky outcropping caught Will's interest and he wandered toward it, removing a small pick from his bag as he approached.

Seeing the boy was preoccupied, Smith made his way toward a nearby tree. As he reached it, movement off in the distance caught his eye. Placing his hands on the tree for support, he peeked around it and looked for an explanation, which he quickly found. Some three hundred yards away, he spied an alien creature, olive in color, and decidedly larger than the average human. It was bipedal and obviously sentient, as it was clothed and carrying some type of bag. It must have sensed Smith's presence, as it turned and looked in his direction. Smith darted behind the tree to hide, pressing his back flush against the trunk.

"William," Smith said, trying to keep his voice calm. "I think, perhaps, we should get back to the Jupiter 2."

"But we just got here, Doctor Smith."

Smith peeked from behind the tree to see that the creature was headed their way. Panic started to creep into his voice. "William, we're about to have company and I'm not sure it's of a friendly nature. I suggest we get going before it is upon us."

The doctor dashed from the tree toward Will. He forcibly pushed the boy along ahead of him as he looked anxiously behind him for sign of the approaching alien. Will initially resisted, but after seeing Smith's panicked state and a flash of movement behind them, he decided perhaps the doctor was right.

The two arrived at camp out of breath, their excited warnings about what they'd seen blending together in an incoherent mess.

"Whoa, slow down. What's the matter?" the Professor asked his young son.

Before the boy could talk, Smith interjected. "Professor, it appears we're not alone on this desolate planet. We saw an alien, a_ large_ alien, and he looked decidedly hostile. He's headed in our direction."

"Don, activate the forcefield," the Professor commanded. He dashed inside the Jupiter 2 and returned with two laser pistols, just in case they were needed. He and the Major strapped them on and stood ready.

The wait for first contact with this new alien was tense. Everyone stood alert, watching in different directions for its approach. After a few minutes, it came out from behind some rocks. The humans studied it as it approached the group. Its appearance was a bit intimidating, but the Robinsons knew full well that looks could be deceiving. Its hands bore three long, sharp-clawed digits and an opposable thumb. Its eyes were large and almond shaped, looking very catlike, even down to the shape of the iris. Its skin seemed rough and, in places, was thick and plated, like the leathery armor of an armadillo.

The alien stopped when it ran into the forcefield, which seemed to leave it a bit perplexed. It cocked its head and moved a hesitant hand forward to touch the forcefield again. It pulled its hand back in surprise when it encountered resistance and a shock from the invisible bubble.

The alien shifted its focus from the forcefield to the humans beyond. It uttered something unintelligible in a deep but singsong voice. The Robot recorded the alien language and began analyzing it in an attempt to decipher it.

The Professor stepped towards the creature and tried a little communication of his own. "I am John Robinson of Earth. We are here with only peaceful intentions."

The alien responded, but whether or not he had understood was impossible to tell. The Robot recorded the additional dialog and added it to his analysis. "Professor Robinson, if you can keep him talking, I may be able to learn his language and serve as a translator between you."

"Alright," the Professor answered. He went to each of the members of the Jupiter 2 crew, introducing them by name and primary responsibilities. Doctor Smith, as always, was left for last. "And this is Doctor... Where's Doctor Smith?" The Professor turned to find the man had vanished some time during his other introductions. "Smith?"

Smith poked his head out from the safety of the Jupiter 2. He gave a timid wave accompanied by a sheepish smile. The alien appeared to laugh and mimicked the doctor's action with a wave of his own while uttering a few more sentences in its native language. The Robinsons and Major West laughed with the creature and considered the tension broken. If they had known the thoughts going through the alien's head, they might have reconsidered.

"I've got it!" the Robot exclaimed. He relayed the information he'd translated from the creature. "This alien is not native to this planet. He's here on an exploratory mission from a planet approximately 0.8 light years away. His name is... unpronounceable by humans. His craft experienced trouble during landing and has been damaged beyond repair. He is stranded here. Also, he thinks Doctor Smith is an idiot."

Major West laughed heartily, "I think I like this guy already."

"What?!" came the offended reply. The doctor stomped down the ramp and stood a few feet from the alien. He began by rattling off a list of his academic and career accomplishments in an attempt to prove his superior intelligence, which ultimately didn't seem to impress the alien. The creature made a quick move toward the doctor, then backed off, intending to test the doctor's fortitude. Smith let out a small yelp and skittered behind the Professor for protection.

The alien laughed again and pointed. The Robot translated the words he said next. "This one seems utterly useless. Do you just keep him around for entertainment?"

The doctor stood ramrod straight upon hearing the latest insult. He harrumphed mightily, "I will not stand around and be insulted by some overgrown ogre!" He then stalked off to his cabin without another word.

The Robot translated Smith's words for the creature, which elicited another laugh.

The Professor deemed the alien friendly enough to risk turning off the forcefield and did so with the Major's concurrence. With the help of the Robot, they spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know their new neighbor.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The Robinsons and Major West were fascinated by the alien and the tales he told of his explorations and of his home world. They learned his species called themselves the Vilkai. They called him Kai for short, since his own name was unpronounceable.

Kai spent many hours with the Robot, learning English to facilitate communication with the others, especially when the Robot was not available. Kai also taught the Robot the intricacies of his language as well, for the humans' reference.

When he was not busy studying with the Robot, the alien made himself useful around the camp, helping in whatever capacity he could, which the Robinsons greatly appreciated. Not only did Kai pull his own weight, he gathered his own food and retrieved his own water from nearby streams. He quickly endeared himself to the Robinsons and Major West, which irritated Doctor Smith to no end.

Smith didn't trust Kai. He couldn't articulate why. He suspected the alien had ulterior motives. It wasn't just a dislike for the way Kai made him look bad to the Robinsons in comparison, though that certainly did irk the doctor. It wasn't just the alien's intimidating appearance. It was a gut instinct, something he'd come to rely on and which had kept him alive on more than one occasion. Perhaps his subconscious had picked up on something and clues to what that was hadn't yet completely bubbled up into his conscious mind. Whatever it was, the feeling gnawed at him and he hated it. He couldn't bring his suspicions to the Professor, as he had no evidence to back up these feelings. He knew it would be seen solely as resentment on his part. Smith felt Kai was definitely up to something and he had to find out what.

Kai was wary of Doctor Smith as well. That human seemed different from the others, less trusting and less open. He felt certain the doctor suspected him of less than honorable intentions. The doctor was right. While the others accepted Smith, Kai observed there were tensions underlying their relationship with him. He would use that to his advantage, especially if the doctor became a threat to his plans.

Smith's feelings became rather evident to the others in the way he avoided contact with the alien whenever possible. Since the alien was most often with the Robinsons, Smith found himself somewhat isolated. He felt lonely. And since the alien, more often than not, held the children's attention instead of him, he also felt replaced.

It bothered Smith that the Robinsons and West placed more trust in the alien than they did in him. In fact, it wounded him more than he cared to admit. He was sure the alien was up to no good, but what scared him even more than that was the prospect that the alien was exactly what he portrayed himself to be. Where would that leave him? Out in the cold, most likely.

In some areas, Kai had advanced technical knowledge, though the systems of his ship were nowhere near as sophisticated as those of the Jupiter 2. He helped the Professor and Major build a machine to refine deutronium even better than their current capabilities allowed. This would be a great boost to the ship's fuel efficiency. The Professor and Major were thrilled with both their new machine and with the alien who'd taught them how to build it. Kai was becoming an invaluable asset.

Smith began to follow the alien around, to spy on him in hopes of finding out his true motives. On one particular afternoon, he followed Kai into a nearby valley where the alien was hunting. The alien had gotten close to a large herbivore in the tall grass and pounced on it. From Smith's vantage point, it appeared that Kai sank his teeth into the creature and it quickly gave up the struggle. That puzzled the doctor, as from what he'd seen, Kai's teeth weren't that formidable.

Smith waited for the alien to pull tools from his bag to start field dressing the animal, but that's not what happened. Instead, the alien tore open the creature with his razor-sharp claws and began eating the meat raw. Small scavengers attempted to steal some for themselves, but the alien was unwilling to share a single morsel. If they came too close, Kai snatched them up and bit off their heads. Smith was so shocked by the sight that he gasped. Kai must have heard him, as he turned his head in the doctor's direction. Smith darted out of sight and tried to calm himself, but Kai's gruesome, bloody visage wouldn't leave his mind. Kai went back to messily eating his meal and when he was done, he carved out more meat with his claws to pack and bring back to camp with him.

It was clear to Smith that no matter what the alien's intentions, he was dangerous and not to be trifled with. Though it was against his nature, he took to wearing a laser pistol on his hip at all times, which raised a few eyebrows among his companions. Curiosity got the better of the Professor and he asked Smith about it.

"Doctor Smith, if you don't mind my asking, why are you suddenly carrying a pistol with you everywhere you go?"

Smith, knowing the Professor's fondness for Kai and not yet having the evidence to convict the alien, answered cryptically. "Professor, if you had seen what I had, you would carry one too. In fact, perhaps you should start."

Before the Professor could ask just what the doctor had seen, Smith stalked off to his cabin. The Professor shrugged and explained it away to one of Smith's many moods.

West, who had observed the exchange, walked up to the Professor. "What's with Smith?"

"He's in one of his moods again," the Professor answered.

The Major shook his head. "I don't know, John. It seems to me something has him spooked. And when Smith's spooked, he talks. He talks a LOT. The fact that he's not talking bothers me. The fact that he feels the need to carry a weapon bothers me even more."

The Professor stroked his chin in thought and nodded. "You're right. Perhaps I should have a more in depth talk with the doctor." He left the Major and went below, to the doctor's cabin. He knocked and Smith permitted him entrance.

"Doctor Smith, our brief discussion on the upper deck left me with more questions than answers. Just what was it that you saw that alarmed you so much?"

Smith didn't answer right away. He was being forced into a delicate situation and knew he had to choose his words wisely.

"Professor, there is a creature on this planet capable of attacking and bringing down large prey. It can eviscerate said prey in mere moments. It has a voracious appetite and I have no doubt it would enjoy any one of us as a meal if given the chance."

Normally, the Professor would have thought Smith was exaggerating, as he often did. This time, however, the doctor's behavior convinced him there was validity to the threat. "What does this predator look like?" the Professor asked, concerned.

Smith had dreaded that question, but he knew it was coming. He tried to skirt around it. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," the Professor answered.

Smith stared at the man and from the look on his face, it was clear he wasn't leaving until he had an answer.

"It's larger than a human. It's armed with sharp claws and teeth. It's quick and it's stealthy."

"That's a rather vague description. Care to elaborate?"

"Not really."

The Professor was beginning to get irritated with the doctor's less than helpful answers.

"Smith, if there's a danger out there, I want to know about it. Now, tell me what this thing looks like."

Smith sighed and stood. There was no getting around it. It would come out eventually, so why not sooner rather than later. Perhaps the man would listen to him and take precautions. Or perhaps his warning would fall on deaf ears and he'd be ostracized. He felt somewhat ostracized already, so he might as well drop a bombshell worthy of being ostracized. "Professor, you already know about this particular predator. You've welcomed it into your camp." He brushed past the Professor and left without another word.

When West saw the doctor leave the ship, he went in search of the Professor. He found him just outside Smith's cabin.

"Well? Did he tell you what has him spooked?"

The Professor nodded. "He didn't come right out and say it, but his meaning was clear. It's Kai."

"Kai? You've got to be kidding me. That alien's the best thing that's happened to us in a while," West replied.

"I think he's jealous," the Professor stated. "Kai makes him look bad."

"He's playing games," West hypothesized, "trying to get us spooked ourselves, into getting rid of Kai."

"That's a distinct possibility," the Professor agreed. "Smith has held a grudge against Kai from day one." Still, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that Smith might be right.


	3. Chapter 3

Smith's irritation with the situation did nothing for his mood. Major West found more verbal barbs aimed in his direction than usual and they were decidedly more pointed. This did not go unnoticed by Kai. He decided the antagonistic relationship between those two might be key to his plan, divide and conquer. They were nearly halfway there themselves. All he needed was to turn up the heat and widen the gulf a little more, until Smith was completely shunned by the other humans. If he could rid himself of the suspicious doctor, the rest would be relatively easy. The others were far too trusting to expect anything.

As he lounged in a chair just outside the Jupiter 2, Smith was thinking similar thoughts of ridding himself of the pesky alien who had stolen his companions from him. A feeling of uneasiness fell over him. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked to his left. His gaze fell upon Kai, who was staring back at him intently. The doctor shifted uncomfortably, feeling for all the world like prey trapped in a corner by a salivating predator. He immediately stood, his hand resting on his laser pistol, and quickly made his way into the relative safety of the Jupiter 2. The corners of Kai's lips tugged slightly upward at the fearful doctor's retreat.

Will had just climbed the ladder to the upper deck when his path crossed with Smith. He couldn't help but notice the older man's agitated state.

"What's wrong, Doctor Smith?" he asked.

"What's wrong, William? I'll tell you what's wrong. That rapacious reptile out there would like nothing more than to feast on our flesh," Smith warned.

Will laughed at the suggestion. "First off, Kai is not a reptile. He's a mammal, like us. Secondly, he's not going to eat us, Doctor Smith. He's friendly. You'd know that if you'd give him a chance."

"Like us? Friendly? Hardly, William," Smith countered. "You would do well to listen to me, my young friend, and keep your distance from that wolf in sheep's clothing. But then," he sighed heavily, "no one ever listens to me."

"Perhaps it's because you've cried wolf so many times that we're all hesitant to listen to you," Will suggested. "Every time we meet a new alien species, you think they're out to get us. Well, they aren't... especially Kai. He's a good friend and I'm not going to stand around and listen to you talk badly about him." With that, Will stalked out of the Jupiter 2.

Smith was a little taken aback. He called out, "William? Please...", but it was useless. The boy had left. He resisted the urge to run after him and simply went down to his cabin to sulk.

Later that evening, Mrs. Robinson paid a personal visit to Smith's cabin to let him know dinner was ready.

"We're having a nice roast tonight, courtesy of Kai," she announced.

Smith looked over her shoulder and saw the children smiling and laughing at the dinner table with Kai.

"Thank you, madame, but I'm really not very hungry," he replied. At that moment, his stomach rumbled audibly, betraying his words to the Robinson matriarch.

While Mrs. Robinson didn't agree with his reluctance to accept Kai, she understood how difficult it was for Smith. He was not one to place his trust lightly, unless, of course, there was something in it for him. It had taken him some time to trust the Robinsons. It would take him even longer to learn to trust Kai. "I'll save some for you for later," she offered.

Smith nodded in appreciation and closed the cabin door.

"Smith's not coming?" the Professor questioned.

Mrs. Robinson shook her head.

"Is he sick or something?" the Major asked. "It's not like Smith to miss a meal, especially something this good." He gestured at the delicious roast sitting before them.

"I think I know what's wrong," Kai suggested. This was the perfect opportunity for him to play the victim and garner their sympathy. He wouldn't let it slip away. "He does not like me. I do not understand him or his behavior. He is so unlike the rest of you humans. He IS human like the rest of you, is he not?"

Major West laughed. "Sometimes I wonder, Kai." Judy lightly shoved an elbow at him, which quieted him for the time being.

"I have tried my best to be a friend to all of you, but with him, I have failed," Kai concluded.

"Oh, no. You haven't failed," Penny reassured him. "You mustn't blame yourself." She paused for an awkward moment, and Smith, who was listening at his cabin door, read into the silence. It said very clearly to him "Smith is to blame." The child was just too polite to give voice to that thought. She continued, "Doctor Smith will come around eventually. You'll see."

Smith sighed heavily and doubt began to creep into his thoughts. Could he have been wrong about Kai? No. He had never felt so strongly that he was right before. Smith questioned himself. Was holding onto that belief worth it? Look what it was costing him, the only family he had. But... what would it cost his family if he was right and he didn't warn them? His mind struggled with the dilemma. Either way he could end up losing them, unless there was some way to expose Kai for the wolf he truly was. That wouldn't be easy, he would have to find enough evidence to convince them, but they would thank him for it in the end. He comforted himself with the thought of the gratitude that would come when he saved them all.


End file.
